ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · chip · coach · cold · present · mark · dip · mate

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. present — the time now
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — for betting
  6. present — a gift
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — there
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com